Category Archives: Newsletter

A pdf of the June 2002 Newsletter may be downloaded here.

President’s Message

Now that it is officially hot enough for summer, it is time for us all to think about ways to keep promoting our businesses and not let the summer heat slow us down.

Celebrations and special events can provide a boost to your business in many ways, including raising employee morale and increasing positive public relations with your clients. I hope you will be able to join us as at our June meeting as Maggie Schlubach talks about the importance of celebration and the basics of creating a top notch special event for your business. Maggie will give details about the components of a successful event and how to get started on your own.

Summer also means flowers. I would like to bring your attention to the flowers and plantings along Haywood Road. Thanks to Bobbie Fisher’s work last year, there are beautiful plantings in two places along Haywood Road East of I-240. The butterfly garden at the Library is also underway thanks to Dawn and Rosemarie Robuck and Leslie Fay. All these gardens need care and additions, which leads me to thank Haw Fletcher Elementary School for their donations of flowers from their gardening program. I hope these projects will inspire more plantings.

Finally, I would ask that each one of you take time to look at the enclosed extra fliers. One is for Fiesta Latina which is an annual festival celebrating Latin culture. Various opportunities are avail- able for involvement. Secondly, and very importantly, there is a questionnaire for you to fill out and return regarding the I-240 pro- posed road widening. PLEASE RETURN THIS ASAP, as we would like to tally results for the June 12 meeting of the MPO.

Hope to see you at the next meeting. Alice io Oglesby io design & illustration On Site Streets, LLC (OnHaywood.com) 251-9051 alice@iodesignandillustration.com alice@onhaywood.com

June 2002 Calendar

Board Meeting Thursday June 13 7:30am West End Bakery 757 Haywood Road

General Meeting Tuesday June 18 6:30pm Ryan’s Steak House 1053 Patton Ave.

June Program:

Keys to Creating Extraordinary Special Events to Promote Your Business

Maggie Schlubach from Schlu- bach & Scharf (The S Team) will present Keys to Creating Extraordinary Special Events to Promote Your Business.

General meetings are open to the public and prospective members are encouraged to attend.

Featured WABA Member – Ginger Graziano

Ginger Graziano Design Group can provide you with outstanding and creative solutions to your graphic design needs. From logos and brochures to larger publication lay outs. Call: 236-2075

Follow Up

Each month the WABA Newsletter will give you follow up information on past programs or community actions and events that pertain to West Asheville. If you have information you would like included, please contact Alice io Oglesby, 251-9051.

Community Action: Public Hearing on 8 Lane I-26 Connector Proposal

NC Department of Transportation is recommending that I-240/26 be widened to 8 lanes through West Asheville. The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will be taking public comment on this proposal June 12, 2002 at 6:30 pm in Laurel Auditorium on the A-B Tech campus. If you would like to voice an opinion, please plan on attending this hearing.

Sponsorship of Community Event: Market Madness, June 8, 7am-1pm

WABA is proud to be one of the sponsors of Market Madness, a fun day of fund-raising activities for the Haywood Road Market. Our logo is on the back of 250 tee shirts that will be sold at the event and given to participants in the 5K Fun Run/Walk.

Save the Date: WABA Summer Picnic and Scholarship Awards, July 16

Mark your calendar. We have reserved space at the French Broad River Park for this annual event. Bring your entire family to enjoy BBQ, music and outdoor fun. This is also the evening that we award our scholarships. This year we are able to give two $750 scholarships. Thank you all!

Community Action: Motorcycle Safety Video Donated

The Concerned Bikers Association (CBA) of Buncombe County has donated 7 safety videos to the Drivers Education De- partment of Buncombe County High Schools. These videos give tips on motorcycle safety and car/motorcycle courtesy. Thank you to WABA Board member Eldon Moore and the fine organization he represents for helping to keep motorcycle riders safe.

Welcome to West Asheville: North Carolina Society of Accountants

The 55th Annual Convention of the North Carolina Society of Accountants will be meeting June 24-26 in Biltmore Vil- lage. Board member, Beth Evans will be attending. WABA will be providing a map to Haywood Road restaurants and attractions for convention attendees to enjoy after hours or during breaks in their schedule. Please make them feel at home and welcome them to West Asheville.

A pdf of the May 2002 Newsletter may be downloaded here.

President’s Message

April showered media coverage on West Asheville. I hope each of you saw the WLOS news coverage on April 16, followed by the Mountain Xpress article the week of April 24-30. These stories concentrated on the Haywood Road area near the West End Bakery and the Bledsoe building, but brought attention to West Asheville as a great place to live and do business.

The WABA Board is working on some proposals to continue promot- ing West Asheville in the media. One suggestion that has been brought forward is reviving West Fest. Our April guest speaker, David Mitchell, Superintendent of Cultural Arts for Parks & Rec- reation, was a great tie in with this idea. Mr. Mitchell gave us an overview of all that Parks & Recreation has to offer and Wanda Hawthorne, also with Parks & Recreation, filled in details of programs at individual centers around the city. A good discussion followed about festivals and what we could do here in West Ashe- ville. Parks & Recreation has a wide variety of programs for all ages. If you would like more information on their programs please visit: www.ashevilleparks.org

This month our guests will be discussing the I-26 Connector plans and how they will affect West Asheville. Many plans have been proposed, here is your chance to find out what the status is of this project and what plans are still being considered.

Hope to see you at the next meeting. Alice io Oglesby io design & illustration On Site Streets, LLC (OnHaywood.com) 251-9051 alice@iodesignandillustration.com alice@onhaywood.com

And for those of you who have missed recent meetings, you may be won- dering about the Featured box below. Each meeting we draw a member card and give that member some free publicity, so remember to put your card in the fishbowl at the next meeting.

May 2002 Calendar

Board Meeting Thursday May 9 7:30am West End Bakery 757 Haywood Road

General Meeting Tuesday May 21 6:30pm Ryan’s Steak House 1053 Patton Ave.

May Program: I-26 Connector and West Asheville

The I-26 Connector is in the planning stages, but finalization of plans will be happening soon.

Join us for a panel discussion on the I-26 Connector and how it will affect West Asheville. Our guests represent the I-26 Connector Awareness Group, City of Asheville Engineering Department and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

General meetings are open to the public and prospective members are encouraged to attend.

Featured WABA Member – Chris Roupp

Chris Roupp is an Account Executive for Quality Business Systems, a Toshiba Company. He can be reached at 828-670-1070 Ext. 104 for your copy, fax and print needs.

Follow Up

Each month the WABA Newsletter will give you follow up information on past programs or community actions and events that pertain to West Asheville.

Community Action: Strive Not to Drive Week, May 12-18

Are you concerned the quality of air you breathe? Bothered by increasing traffic and congestion? Are you worried that our children (or even yourself) don’t get enough exercise? Now is your chance to help make a difference. The annual Strive Not To Drive event takes place during the week of May 12-18. The goal is to increase awareness about air quality and transportation issues in our region. Individuals and businesses are encouraged to use buses, bikes and walking instead of cars during this week. Happenings from Guided Ur- ban Trail Walks and a Bicycle Film Festival to Spring Fling at the Arboretum will make this a week of celebra- tion. For more information call: Linda Giltz, Land-of-Sky Regional Council, 251-6622.

Community Event: Market Madness, June 8, 7am-1pm

What do you get when you mix a 5K fun run, giant yard sale, dog wash and plant sale? Market Madness! This one day event is a fun fund-raiser for the Haywood Road Market. Donations of yard sale items are being accepted Saturdays and Sundays, 10-12 at West End Bakery, 757 Haywood Road. Want to get involved? Get your running shoes on and form a business team, donate race prizes, volunteer some time or ask about sponsorship opportunities. For more information: hrmmadness@hotmail.com

Save the Date: WABA Summer Picnic and Scholarship Awards, July 16

Mark your calendar. We have reserved space at the French Broad River Park for this annual event. Bring your entire family to enjoy BBQ, music and outdoor fun. This is also the evening that we award our scholarships. This year we are able to give two $750 scholarships. Thank you all!

A pdf of the April 2002 Newsletter may be downloaded here.

President’s Message

Our March meeting was very well attended and networking was definately happening around the room. Our program on computer viruses was very informative and I saw many people taking down notes on the useful tips given by Keith Kolomechuk of Prism Technology Resources.

Thanks to Groce Funeral Home, The Art Barn, and Business Intermediary Services, Ltd. for donations of door prizes. If you would like to donate a door prize, bring it with you to a meeting.

The best gift of the evening came from Reggie Robinson, who presented a check for $175 to the scholarship fund on behalf of the West Asheville Youth Basketball League. He also presented WABA with photographs of the teams we sponsored this year. Youth Basketball has finished its season, but Little League is just getting started. If you need information about sports programs in West Asheville give Bill Cook at the West Asheville Community Center a call 258-2235.

Spring is here and many new and exciting things are happening in West Asheville. Of special note is the meeting with City Planning to discuss the future of Haywood Road. Please see the flip side of this newsletter for details.

Hope to see you at the next meeting. Alice io Oglesby io design & illustration On Site Streets, LLC (OnHaywood.com) 251-9051 alice@iodesignandillustration.com alice@onhaywood.com

And for those of you who have missed recent meetings, you may be wondering about the Featured box below. Each meeting we draw a member card and give that member some free publicity.

April 2002 Calendar

Board Meeting Thursday April 11 7:30am West End Bakery 757 Haywood Road

General Meeting Tuesday April 16 6:30pm Ryan’s Steak House 1053 Patton Ave.

April Program: Asheville Parks & Recreation

Do you know all the terrific programs available from Asheville Parks & Recreation?

Representatives from this Ashe- ville City Department will provide us with an overview of their programs and answer questions about future festivals and activities.

General meetings are open to the public and prospective members are encouraged to attend.

Featured WABA Member – John Christopher

John Christopher’s Plumbing Repair Specialist, Inc. is a brand new member of WABA. They can help you with sewer & drain cleaning, hot water heaters, disposals, fixtures and more. Their philosophy is one of outstanding customer service. They can be reached at: 254-8511, 683-3100, 299-9985 or 681-5541.

Follow Up

Each month the WABA Newsletter will give you follow up information on past programs or community actions that pertain to West Asheville.

Program Follow Up: Computer Viruses

As we learned at our last meeting the key to not having problems with computer viruses is to think defensively. Install virus detection software and keep your anti-virus definition files updated. Your anti-virus program should have a function to automatically check for new profiles on a set schedule. Scan all email attachments and files that come from outside your computer. Scan your computer on a regular basis and most importantly back up your files.

Resources: www.f-secure.com www.complex.is www.antivirus.com

Community Action: Reward for Catching Graffiti Vandals

We have set up a Crime Stoppers reward of $250 for the arrest and conviction of graffiti vandals in West Asheville. Call Crime Stoppers, 277-100 if you have information. If you would like to donate to the reward fund, please contact Stewart Auten, Auten Printing, 254-1996.

Community Action: Haywood Road Corridor Development Meeting

City Development would like to hear from all the businesses and organizations on Haywood Road. Come share your ideas and visions for Haywood Road on Tuesday, April 9, 6:30pm at the West End Bakery. City Planning staff will review the goals and stategies laid out in the Haywood Road Corridor Plan and give an update on progress of plan implimentation. We’ll discuss everything from traffic flow to bike racks. Please contact Alice io Oglesby, 251-9051 if you have questions.

A pdf of the March 2002 Newsletter may be downloaded here.

Presidents Message

We had another good turn out at our February meeting. Thanks to all those members who brought along prospective members.

Our guest speaker, Judy Bell, a Crime Prevention Specialist from the Asheville Police Department had many tips for keeping you and your employees safe as well as advice on how to handle vari- ous situations. Please look under Follow Up on the flip side of this newsletter for details.

We are still looking for your input. Let myself or a Board member know what programs you would like to have at our meetings. What topics do you want to learn more about? Who would you like to hear speak?

Committees have been formed to handle various WABA activities: • Scholarship Committee – to assist in the decision and awarding of our two annual scholarships.

Contact: Tommy Rice 254-3511 • Promotions Committee – to explore the options for marketing and promoting West Asheville businesses.

Contact: Raife Davis 252-6848 • Fiesta Latina – to help with the annual downtown festival and build a relationship with the goal of moving the festival to West Asheville next year

Contact: Krista Stearns 252-9378 I encourage you to get involved in one of these committees. This is your chance to help shape the future of West Asheville.

Hope to see you at the next meeting. Alice io Oglesby io design & illustration On Site Streets, LLC (OnHaywood.com) 251-9051 alice@iodesignandillustration.com alice@onhaywood.com

March 2002 Calendar

Board Meeting Thursday March 14 7:30am West End Bakery 757 Haywood Road

General Meeting Tuesday March 19 6:30pm Ryan’s Steak House 1053 Patton Ave.

March Program: Anti-Virus Concerns

Charlene A. Galvin from Prism Technology Resources, Inc. will fill us in on: • Computer virus history • The types of viruses out there • Who writes viruses and why? • Who are the targets? • General rules on how to protect your computer system

• Proven anti-virus solutions There will be time for questions and answers.

General meetings are open to the public and prospective members are encouraged to attend.

Featured WABA Member – Olga Earwood

Olga Earwood is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker. She is a Certified International Property Specialist, Million Dollar Producer and Multilingual. Olga is also an interpreter for Russian and Ukrainian languages. She can be reached at: 236-5645

E-mail: oearwood@coldwellbanker.com

Follow Up

Each month the WABA Newsletter will give you follow up information on past programs or community actions that pertain to West Asheville.

Program Follow Up: Crime Prevention for Your Business

Some basic tips for the safety of your business and your employees: 1) Lighting – have good outdoor light- ing and leave an internal light on after hours to discourage dark seeking criminals; 2) Uncovered windows – store windows that are covered give criminals a way to confront you with out pedestrians or motorist seeing them; 3) Limit escape routes – check that you are not an easy drive by mark. Criminals like to have multiple escape routes, don’t give them an easy way out. What do you do if you are robbed? Stay calm. Don’t risk your life against an armed criminal, give them the money. Immediately call 911, lock the door and ask all employees and customers to write down what they saw. Do not discuss events amongst yourself. Do not disturb any possible evidence. More tips will follow in future newsletters.

Community Action: Reward for Catching Graffiti Vandals

We have set up a Crime Stoppers reward of $250 for the arrest and conviction of graffiti vandals in West Asheville. Call Crime Stoppers, 277-100 if you have information. If you would like to donate to the reward fund, please contact Stewart Auten, Auten Printing, 254-1996.

Community Action: Haywood Road Development Meeting

City Development would like to hear from all the businesses and organizations on Haywood Road. A meeting is being set up for you to voice your opinion about such things as traffic flow, cross walks and parking. As soon as we have a date and place we will be making fliers and could use help in getting the word out. Please contact Alice io Oglesby, 251-9051 if you can assist.

A pdf of the February 2002 Newsletter may be downloaded here.

Presidents Message

Welcome to WABA 2002. We had close to 50 people at our meeting in January, many were new or prospective members.

First I would like to thank to Tom Muncy, Immediate Past President, for his hard work and dedication to WABA in 2001. For those of you unable to attend last month’s meeting, let me introduce myself as your new President, Alice io Oglesby. Your other elected officers are: Raife Davis, Vice-President; Dorothy Anderson, Secretary; and H. Dale Groce, Treasurer. You will find the 2002 Board members listed on the Newsletter wrapper. Please contact any of us with concerns or ideas for WABA.

Our program in January showcased some of the new businesses to Haywood Road. Six new business owners spoke on their reasons for selecting West Asheville as the location for their business. Speakers were: Stewart Auten, Auten Printing; Katie Gaddy, Deluxe; Louis Lankford, West Asheville Development, LLC; David McConville, Black Box Studio; John Shoske, The Amp Shop; and Krista Stearns, West End Bakery. The variety these businesses represent is one indication of the vitality of Haywood Road and West Asheville as a business and community.

The WABA Board will be setting up programs for the remainder of the year, so if you have topics that you would like to learn more about, please let us know. Some suggestions to date include computer internet security, financing for small businesses, and marketing tips.

On the flip side of this sheet you will find a membership application form. You can use this form to renew or establish membership. We are in the process of updating our database, so we would also encourage you to send it in with any new information. We would especially like to know if you have an e-mail address or a web page.

Hope to see you at the next meeting.

Alice io Oglesby io design & illustration On Site Streets, LLC 251-9051 alice@iodesignandillustration.com

February 2002 Calendar

Board Meeting Thursday February 14 7:30am West End Bakery 757 Haywood Road

General Meeting Tuesday February 19 6:30pm Ryan’s Steak House 1053 Patton Ave.
February Program: Crime Prevention

Please join us for this informative program on crime prevention for your business. Our special guests is Judy Bell, from the Asheville City Police Department, who is a Crime Prevention Specialists. There will be time for questions and answers.

General meetings are open to the public and prospective members are encouraged to attend.

Follow Up

Each month the WABA Newsletter will give you follow up information on past programs or community actions that pertain to West Asheville.

Program Follow Up: Public Access Television Station

Many of you have expressed support for a Public Access Television Station. There is still a little bit of time to express your support, as the County Commissioners will be finalizing their negotiations early in March. David McConville invites you to read and sign the “Buncombe County Needs A High-Quality Public Access Television Station” Petition at http://www.blackboxstudio.com/patv/ Let the County Commissioners know that Buncombe County residents deserve the valuable economic and community resource of a top-notch, well-funded Public Access Television Station. Perhaps it’ll even be situated in West Asheville!

Community Action: Reward for Catching Graffiti Vandals

The West Asheville Police Resource Center and Crime Stoppers are collecting donations to post a reward for the arrest and conviction of vandals that have been putting graffiti on buildings in West Asheville. Please contact the Resource Center, 252-6845 to make a donation or if you have any information.